Students’ perceptions of glaciers and high mountain areas under the influence of climate change: Students’ sketches of ecosystem services

Today, traces of climate change are clearly visible—especially in vulnerable ecosystems such as high mountain areas. Even though these ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services for human well-being, the ongoing discussion about glacial retreat and its consequences for both humans and the environment are shaping diverse student perceptions. Previous research has demonstrated that knowledge about glaciers can foster environmentally friendly behavior. This study seeks to contribute to the field of climate change education by examining students’ everyday conceptions of the ecosystem services provided by high mountain areas and glaciers. Therefore, the present study investigates 205 student sketches of high mountain areas based on their prior knowledge and 108 short written answers on an associated task. The students’ sketches of glaciers and the provided ecosystem services collected provide visual indications of the range of differing everyday conceptions of high mountain areas. The findings of this study highlight the importance of water as a key component in both regulating and providing ecosystem services, while recreational activities are central to cultural services according to the students’ perceptions. The study emphasizes the possibilities to apply the ecosystem services framework in educational settings to plan teaching units that support a systemic understanding of climate change and its impacts in high mountain regions.